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Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 4

Yes, Will It Snow For Christmas is shaping up to be standard melodrama stuff, in terms of story. Still, I’d say it’s excellently drawn standard melodrama (which makes it not so standard after all?). Trust me, you won’t find anyone who’s more reluctant to dive into the melo genre, but for some reason this drama has dug its claws under my skin. Ew, problematic metaphor. You know what I mean.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lyn – “실화” (True Story) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 4 RECAP

The air is tense in Kang-jin’s apartment as he asks Tae-joon if he’s too busy to take his fiancee to the hospital. He asks pointedly, “If you’re busy, should I take her?” Tersely, Tae-joon says that he’s been an inconvenience and will buy him a drink later. He takes Ji-wan by the arm and leaves.

In Tae-joon’s apartment, Ji-wan affects a cheery tone, saying she’s not really sick — she’ll be fine after she eats. She grabs things from his fridge and starts to dig in, but because he’s upset (at himself), he yells at her not to eat food that’s expired.

Ji-wan questions his words: “I’ve been quite an inconvenience. I’ll buy you a drink later. Was that all you could say?” Wasn’t he supposed to get offended that Kang-jin overstepped his bounds, stand up for her, and maybe even hit him? He should have yelled at her for being spending the night with another guy and called her names. Then she could yell at him for not showing up at the engagement party and ignoring her calls.

I love this conversation because they’re both overcompensating; so much more is going on below the surface discussion. She’s feeling guilty for feeling drawn to Kang-jin (suspecting, but not knowing, that he’s “her” Kang-jin), while Tae-joon is feeling guilty for cheating.

Ji-wan starts to toss out the question, “Were you with some other woman?” but cuts herself off. She must suspect the truth but pulls back at the last minute, as though challenging him to confirm it but then not wanting to hear it. She tells him, “If you can’t take responsibility for me through the end, don’t hold on to me,” and leaves.

But as she steps out into the hallway, she says in disappointment, “I told him not to hold on — is he really not going to hold on?” She has also walked out wearing mismatched shoes — one slipper, one boot — but can’t go back to change now.

Kang-jin finds a hairpin Ji-wan left behind, and takes it. He runs into Ji-wan at the elevator and asks why she’s not going to the hospital; she answers that she’s all better. Noticing her shoes, he guesses that she left in a fight. Ji-wan finds his familiarity unsettling — probably because she suspects who he is and is trying to keep him at a distance, unsuccesfully.

Ji-wan: “How many women have you taken to your bed without their permission while they were asleep?”
Kang-jin: “I haven’t counted so I don’t know. Aren’t you curious what I did after I brought you to the bed?”
Ji-wan: “Are you a player?”
Kang-jin: “Do I look like a player?”
Ji-wan: “How long have you lived like this?”
Kang-jin: “I haven’t counted that either, so I don’t know.”
Ji-wan: “Do I look like a pushover to you?”
Kang-jin: “How do I look to you? Up close, I’m really handsome, aren’t I? Don’t I look high-class?”
Ji-wan: “You’re being rude. I’m your colleague’s fiancee.”
Kang-jin: “I thought the ceremony didn’t happen.”
Ji-wan: “What are you trying to do?”

The elevator doors open. He traps her, and says, “I’m thinking of seducing you, for real, like a player.” She stutters, “Don’t you know who I am? D-don’t you?”

She starts to repeat the part about being Tae-joon’s fiancee. He cuts her off with a resigned sigh: “Fine, insist that you’re Park Tae-joon’s fiancee. So what? Have you ever seen a player being picky?”

All this excitement is pretty overwhelming for Ji-wan and she walks out in a daze. She stumbles when Kang-jin honks her out of his way and zooms on past her.

But he doesn’t just leave with that rude gesture — he returns to find Ji-wan still sitting on the curb. Without a word, he gets out of the car and sets a new pair of boots down in front of her, then drives off again. Naturally, she recalls the last time Kang-jin gave her shoes.

(Are they going to subvert the whole “don’t give your lover shoes” adage? By the way, I would LOVE if they did. I’m so tired of that gesture representing such manufactured meaningfulness.)

At the office parking garage, Kang-jin pulls in to see Woo-jung venting her ire on the poor security guard for a tiny scratch on her car. Kang-jin tells her to take it easy — it’s barely noticeable and she’s overreacting.

Woo-jung can’t believe his nerve: “Don’t you know who I am?” Not intimidated, he answers that he does know, which is why he’s being so polite. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered to try, since she’s such a selfish person who doesn’t care about hurting others.

She fumes, “Are you done talking?!” He answers calmly, “If I think of more, I will let you know.” He bows and takes his leave. Shocked to be treated with anything less than servility, Woo-jung screams after him to stop, but he ignores her.

In her office, she seethes, and tells her employee Jae-hyun (who’s Kang-jin’s co-worker friend) that she’ll have him fired him immediately, just as soon as Daddy gets back.

His words really got to her, so she asks Jae-hyun if she really is someone who disregards other people’s unhappiness for the sake of her own ambitions. Jae-hyun gets her permission to answer honestly (he’s her grade school classmate), and answers bluntly, “Yes, you are. Cha Kang-jin has an awful temper but he never says something that’s not true.”

Unable to let it go, she exclaims, “When did I do that?” Who has she hurt because of her greed? Jae-hyun points out one case — Ji-wan.

So, Woo-jung drops by the cafe. Without introducing herself, Woo-jung takes stock of Ji-wan’s appearance, sees that she looks pretty resilient, and says, “I can feel less sorry, then.” She offers to give her a much cushier job with better pay. Or money, if she needs. When asked by a puzzled Ji-wan who she is, Woo-jung answers, “Park Tae-joon’s girlfriend.”

Ji-wan realizes this must be director Lee Woo-jung. She asks why Woo-jung would pay her, and gets back the careless answer that she feels sorry “for this and that. I was with Tae-joon on your engagement day. I’m starting over with him. Maybe I should apologize for it, so in any case I’m sorry.”

Woo-jung says this all with her rich, privileged air, like she’s rather pleased with herself for actually apologizing and being so generous. Ji-wan counters, what if she kicks up a fuss? What if she says she can’t let him go? What if she clings?

Woo-jung asks, “Isn’t it better to preserve the last of your dignity?”

Tae-joon conducts his meeting with the Chinese developers, which has been rescheduled since he missed the original meeting. But the Chinese men stop him — his presentation differs from what they’d discussed yesterday. The lead Chinese businessman takes out a series of napkins with design plans on them, and asks for Cha Kang-jin. The only reason they agreed to this meeting is because they liked his ideas.

Thus Kang-jin is called in to take over. He completes the napkin diagram and explains his concept of planning an eco-friendly development — a green city. All the while, Tae-joon eyes his colleague in a new light.

The Chinese developers are pleased and trade happy comments amongst themselves. As they converse in Chinese, Tae-joon addresses Kang-jin:

Tae-joon: “You’re a frightening man, Team Leader Cha. Backstabbing someone who asked for your help.”
Kang-jin: “It was not my intention. I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold onto them with your concept.”
Tae-joon: “Why are you doing this to me? Do you have a problem with me?”
Kang-jin: “Is that what it looks like?”

The Chinese developers are ready to agree to work together, and regardless of whose idea this was, it should be a victory for the Bumseo Group team, not a personal glory for Kang-jin — but Tae-joon’s jealousy gets the better of him. Rather than accepting graciously, he suggests that Kang-jin put on a presentation himself. This makes it a competitive situation, and just makes things more difficult for everyone; it’s sort of like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Jae-hyun gripes about Tae-joon’s dick move on Kang-jin’s behalf — he only has one week for a presentation that would be difficult to do in a month! What was Tae-joon thinking?

Kang-jin accepts this as his challenge and figures he’ll have to give it a shot. Jae-hyun warns him that he’s going to get fired as soon as the president returns, but Kang-jin’s not terribly worried. He jokes that if Woo-jung sics her father on him, he’ll just sic his mother on her.

Speaking of mothers, Chun-hee drops by Jun-su’s office, saying that she’s unwell. Ever since she was beat up by that thug, she has been in pain, and asks Jun-su to take a look.

Jun-su refuses, keeping his tone brisk and telling her to go to another hospital. He tries to get her to leave and ignores her persistent pleas. This piques her temper, so she asks, does she have to break a leg to get him to treat her? Fine, she’ll do that.

Chun-hee heads up to the roof so she can fling herself off it and break something. But at the last minute, she wonders, “What if I die? I’m only trying to get hurt.” She vacillates, stepping off the ledge, and back on, and back off again.

Jun-su watches — he’d worried, but now that he sees her hesitation, he dryly says that he’s waiting to give her a hand if she can’t do it herself. So Chun-hee challenges him to give her a push: “Why, can’t you kill me a second time when you’ve already killed me once?” The Chun-hee he once knew died 30 years ago when he killed her.

He pulls her down from the ledge and drives her somewhere — and his wife Young-sook spots them leaving together. Jun-su pulls up to a hospital and tells her to get an X-ray, then calls in a favor with a doctor friend. Chun-hee’s eyes fill with tears at this unexpected kindness.

It’s a small but probably significant tidbit that Ji-wan still wears Kang-jin’s necklace. You’d think she would find it painful, but the whole matter is rather emotionally complicated, so I can see her attachment to it.

Meanwhile, Kang-jin still has Ji-wan’s hair pin, which he puts onto his necktie and wears as a tie clip.

After his morning fight with Ji-wan, Tae-joon has been feeling conflicted — I’m sure he does care for Ji-wan and hates to hurt her, even though his passion for Woo-jung seems to be much more fiery. He shows up at their new apartment, which is completely furnished with new appliances, clothes, everything.

In contrast with Woo-jung, his behavior is quiet, reserved, almost resigned. She is thrilled to be together again and tells him not to go anywhere. Tae-joon looks at her injured wrist and tells her not to hurt herself again. But her happy smile fades into confusion as he adds, “Even if you say you’re really dying, I won’t come again. I’ve done as much as I could. I think we’ve gone as far as we could.”

Now his attitude starts to make sense — why he didn’t break it off with Ji-wan, why he couldn’t fully embrace Woo-jung, why he seems angry with himself. Growing angry, Woo-jung asks what he’s saying. She doesn’t understand his beating around the bush, so just say it!

Tae-joon confesses that he received money from her father to break it off. He used it all so he can’t even return it. She demands to know how much. He answers, “Enough that a man like me wouldn’t be able to touch that much in my lifetime. Enough to make me regret not accepting it earlier.” Stunned to have the bomb dropped on her like this, Woo-jung wrestles with her hurt, bursting out that she’ll die if he goes like this. He tells her to go ahead — he warned her that he wouldn’t come again. Tearfully she asks whether this is all their love amounted to. Was it so little that he could give her up for money?

He genuinely seems pained, but with his face averted, he strives for a cavalier tone (though he has tears in his eyes): “I guess it is.” He walks out, then calls the president’s man to say that it’s all over.

That night at the office, Woo-jung is nowhere to be found and her phone goes unanswered. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but Kang-jin’s team, who have been working incredibly hard to make their presentation deadline, needs her signature of approval on some documents. They only have two hours left before they have to send it over to the New York office. Kang-jin had thought her approval had already been given, and the team hadn’t anticipated this hiccup.

Kang-jin heads out of the office immediately and calls around to find out Woo-jung’s whereabouts. This is an emergency, and he scours nightclub after nightclub, even barging into private rooms and restrooms.

He finally spots her drinking alone in a corner at a particular club, and states his case in an urgent but businesslike manner. Woo-jung is in a foul mood and yells at his impertinence for barging in at this hour, at this location, to talk to her about business. Undeterred, Kang-jin presents the document — everyone has been working their asses off for this project and they just need her signature. They only have thirty minutes left to make their deadline.

Uncaring, Woo-jung pours herself more liquor, spilling alcohol all over his paper. He’s come this far and he’s not going to let her petulance interfere, so Kang-jin angrily grabs her arm and drags her out. She resists and complains, so he hoists her on his shoulder and carries her out. He calls the office to inform them he’s heading over, so get the paperwork ready.

As he charges out of the building, Kang-jin hears her shouting turning into sobs. This is the moment I felt most keenly for Woo-jung’s character, and it’s also possibly the first time Kang-jin does, too. She cries, “What did I do wrong? Why did you play with me?” Her pain doesn’t necessarily excuse her behavior, but it does explain it.

After dropping by the office, Kang-jin retrieves a fresh document and again asks for Woo-jung’s signature. She scribbles it, then proposes drunkenly, “Stay with me tonight.” She offers him a lot of benefits, such as money, in exchange.

For a moment it seems like Kang-jin looks at her with sympathy, but when he answers, it’s with a brusque tone. Jae-hyun is on his way here, so if she’s going to buy a man’s company, she should buy his. He leaves her in the car and walks off.

Ji-wan arrives at the cafe that night to find Tae-joon staggering, drunk, in front of the door. He asks for a late-night drink, like he used to do. Ji-wan answers coolly that she’ll charge him exorbitantly for the privilege.

For a while, Tae-joon drinks by himself; it’s like old times, only the emotions are all a-jumble this time around. She’s fighting her hurt, while he gazes her with regret and sadness. Tae-joon breaks the silence — he has something to tell her. He waits for a sign from her before continuing, and there’s a long moment of silence as she works out how best to respond.

Finally, she bursts out, “Go then! I’ll let you go, so go! You don’t have to pretend to be so miserable, I won’t hold you back! So go to her!” She’ll meet a better man and live happily, so he can leave without worrying.

Ah, the irony. Just as he’s broken things off with Woo-jung… He doesn’t argue; he just drops his credit card to pay his bill, and leaves silently.

Working late, Kang-jin asks someone to pop out to buy some snacks, but all the others are passed out in exhaustion. So he goes instead, pausing to look at the (seemingly closed) cafe before continuing on his way.

On Kang-jin’s way back from the store, he sees a drunk Tae-joon stumbling out and heading for the street. Ji-wan runs after him to return the credit card, only to see that Tae-joon has staggered into the busy intersection against the light signal. Cars zoom past him and he collapses in the middle of the road.

Alarmed, Ji-wan rushes into the intersection after him and urges him to get up, but he’s unconscious and doesn’t budge. Cars honk and brakes screech, but one oncoming car is headed straight for them. She can’t move Tae-joon, so she makes a split-second decision: she stands up in front of him, arms outstretched, as though to take the brunt of the impact instead of him…

…which is when Kang-jin races into the street and grabs her tightly, positioning himself between her and the car.


(Agh! The emotion on his face — it kills me! It makes this cliche of a moment worth it.)

The oncoming car swerves to avoid them, and after registering that they’re safe, they break apart in stunned silence, looking intently at each other… which is why it’s got to hurt for Kang-jin when Ji-wan races to Tae-joon’s side and worriedly calls out to him.

Kang-jin carries Tae-joon home and deposits him on the bed, then faces Ji-wan with a frustration that manifests as anger. His fear over her actions causes him to lash out with harsh words, especially when he sees her scraped, bleeding hand:

Kang-jin: “Do you often hear that you’re foolish? That you’re stupid, and pathetic? You must get that a lot. If you act like this, will he come to you? If you give up your life or beg, do you think you could hold onto him?”
Ji-wan: “I’m going to try. I’ll do whatever I have to. If I can hold onto him by risking my life or begging, I’ll try. I’m thankful for today, but if you’re done, could you leave? I want to be alone with Tae-joon.”

He turns to go, then pauses, looking at her face searchingly.

Kang-jin: “Can I ask one question? What is his mother like? What kind of person is Park Tae-joon’s mother?”

After he walks out, her stricken face starts to crumple in tears.

I’m editing this part, because I prefer an alternate interpretation proffered, which is that this cuts through Ji-wan’s denial and proves that it’s really Kang-jin. The statement speaks to her rejection of him as kids, when she invoked his tawdry mother as one of the reasons she didn’t like him. Even if she didn’t mean the words then, Kang-jin’s question is quietly condemning.

As if to underscore the point, his mother calls. He’s not in the mood to sing tonight, so she offers herself for lullaby duty. After today’s encounter with Jun-su and his kindness at the hospital, she’s in a great mood. She sings Shim Su-bong’s “그때 그 사람” (That man of the past) [ Download ]

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When it rains, I think of that man from the past
He never had much to say
He hid love’s pain and cried
because he couldn’t forget a lost love

He asked one day in the car
what the saddest thing in the world is
Sadder than love is emotion,
he said, shaking his head

He played guitar for me in the lonely sickroom
consoling me tenderly, that beloved man
He didn’t even say goodbye
Is he happy somewhere now?
Shall I think of him just once?
I still miss him, that man of the past
The one I have to forget now, that man of the past

While Chun-hee sings to her son, we see Jun-su staring off into the darkness alone, as he so often does. His wife Young-sook watches him, no doubt wondering what is between her husband and Chun-hee.

Ji-wan tends to Tae-joon throughout the night, and a heartbroken Woo-jung drinks herself to sleep.

In the morning, Ji-wan cooks breakfast and checks in on Tae-joon, but leaves without talking to him. As she walks past Kang-jin’s door, his words ring in her head, about how foolish she was.

Personally, I think Ji-wan isn’t 100% sure that this Kang-jin is her childhood love, and is trying to deny with her head what she guesses in her heart. She stops at his door and recalls his teenage confession, and also her harsh words rejecting his feelings.

There’s a milk delivery at his doorstep, which catches her eye. Just then, he comes up from behind her, arriving home from an early-morning workout.

Kang-jin offers the milk to her in a casual, friendly tone, but Ji-wan is nervous to be caught here. He forces a cheerful tone as she makes the excuse, “I came here because I don’t think I thanked you properly.”

Kang-jin replies, “But I didn’t ask why you came to my place at dawn, or why you were lurking here for a long while.”

Uncertain how to respond to such a direct assault, Ji-wan turns quickly to walk away. Kang-jin grabs her arm and whirls her back around.

This time, he looks at her intently. He’s not going to let her evade the issue any more, and demands, “Do you not know me? Han Ji-wan, do you really not know me?”

 
COMMENTS

The drama has a nice way with little moments that add meaning to scenes — like how the streetlight turns green after the danger is gone. Or how Ji-wan braces herself for the car’s impact by squeezing her eyes shut, as does Kang-jin when he grabs her to suffer the blow instead.

Another thing that elevates this drama is (as I previously mentioned) how well these characters have been drawn. And by now, we’re far enough from the childhood portions to apply this to adult Kang-jin and Ji-wan as well.

I often find myself hating second leads in melodramas — so clingy, so demanding, so crazy, so unrealistic — but here, I actually like them. Take Tae-joon, for instance. He’s sorta tragic, isn’t he? Because he’s so weak. I was all set to write him off as a two-timing, indecisive, selfish jerk, but this episode adds layers to his character that we didn’t see in the previous episode. I appreciate that. Episode 3 suggested that Tae-joon was purely using Ji-wan, at least at first. Episode 4 gives us more complex mixed feelings, and it helps that actor Song Jong-ho has a great talent for incorporating subtleties to his expressions, so that even when he’s saying the heartless words of a cad, his face is showing more behind the words.

Woo-jung is another oddly relatable character, and I say “oddly” because she’s rich, spoiled, and bratty. But to her, this really doesn’t make sense because she has done nothing wrong, and she’s being jerked around by the two men in her life who are, presumably, most important — her father and her lover. I love the moment when Kang-jin pauses to really hear her sobs, because she sounds like such a lost little girl.

It actually struck me that in an alternate universe, Kang-jin and Woo-jung’s relationship is like the melodrama version of the pairing we saw in My Fair Lady with Yoon Eun-hye and Yoon Sang-hyun.

I will apologize in advance for going off on a tangent, and I really don’t want to turn this into a big issue, so please don’t assume that I’m directly comparing the two dramas or making statements about which is better, etc. It just strikes me as a funny coincidence. Here you have the same spoiled brat who has a director’s title with the company but didn’t earn the spot; who abuses those around her, including (and especially) the one she loves; who was forced apart from her love by familial interference; who acts out and is self-destructive because of grief; who is challenged by a new man who, unlike everyone else, refuses to kowtow to her position.

I’ve heard that Pretty Woman was almost cast with Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino — and what a different movie that would have been, yeah? Darker, less fluffy, less romantic but almost definitely more intense. It’s the same difference here. Just thought I’d mention it.

 
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i've been refreshing ur website like every second for the past few hours.
thanx a bunch!!!!!!
so addicted to your recaps!!!

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i've been waiting for your recaps all day!
thank you soo much, i like reading your recaps
after i watch the episode becuase it just seems to make
much more sense.
keep up the good work! :)

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i'm fallin' deeper and deeper in love with Go Soo.... ;) can't wait to see ep 5!

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Thank you very much :)

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I wasn't sure about watching this drama, but since you [Javabeans] seem to like it, then I'll have to try it. Thanks for the recaps!

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Lyn – “실화" (True Story) a very nice song (and I like Lyn quite a bit too), but it feels like the Enfamil of k-ballad songs. I mean, all the nutrients are there, and it is sure filling, but is it a bit formulaic without the thick richness of ...something?

Shim Su-bong’s “그때 그 사람" made me tear up for shizzle though. Is this the drama that will make me turn all belleza in a misa-bali kinda way?

Is it possible that Ji-wan actually doesn't know? I think she doesn't know. And I think we will find out why she doesn't know?

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Currently I'm love with this drama. I often try to avoid melodrama but it is Go Soo. It is still good so far. Let's hope it could keep this spacing without dragging the story. Go Soo is the best, his face expression and expensive eyes' emotion..... :) We could see a lot from his eyes...

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Just downloaded Episode 1...hoping to catch up by this weekend! And can I say Go Soo has gotten hotter since Green Rose...and it's like he hasn't aged at all. Seriously am starting this drama because his character Kang-in seems so complex and intense! Thank you for the wonderful recap JB!

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JB you rock.. thanks for the recaps, I think WISOC is becoming my favorite drama of this year so far, it caught me by surprise, never saw the prior work of the 2 leads,, but after 4 epis I am hook,,,thanks a lot for your hard work...

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“Agh! The emotion on his face — it kills me! It makes this cliche of a moment worth it.”
yes! JB! I mean, holy crap. When I saw the preview of the hug, I thought – standard trick. It would be the revelation for JW. But no. It woke up the emotion in KJ big time (as seen in ep5).

And you are right, JB. I think at this stage (ep4), both KJ and JW were not 100% sure about each other yet. That was why a certain scene in last night episode brought out the emotional me.

I think the singing sequence in this episode is really well-done. My heart connects to the song and the scenes of all the characters. The lyrics are so sad, so beautiful, and there’s the sincerity in KJ’s mother singing. I am moved.

From my previous comments, I have said that I feel something for WJ, especially after she cries out in this episode. TJ, I don’t feel such warmth with his character. But something about WJ catches my attention.

Thinking of which, the story so far has been standard. But I feel that the characters’ emotional responses to their conflicts and pains are real (it gets under my skin too, JB). Certainly, the gorgeous cinematography and music help.

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i hate myself for it but i actually prefer taejoon over kang jin For Now. it's just something about kang jin's intensity that throws me off. taejoon has all the subtleties of a... pained man while kang jin has all the passion of a man on a revenge mission. or a backstabbing mission. which reminds me TOTALLY of what happened in bali, where so ji sub totally destroyed jo in sung... and the Twist at the end when ha ji won reveals her feelings for not so ji sub but jo in sung.
all i'm saying is i'm totally hooked, so please don't turn out to be another "what happened in bali"!! i already saw that drama! and the work related tensions arising make me iffy.

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Kang-jin: “Can I ask one question? What is his mother like? What kind of person is Park Tae-joon’s mother?”

One of the things that the teenage Ji-wan says to Kang-jin in anger and guilt after her brother's death is that his mother is not up to the standards of her family.And she also implies that her rejection of him is mostly because of his mother's status which hurts him terribly.So in a way when he says this now, he's actually asking her whether she has finally met a man whose family matches her family's status.I don't know how to put it but I don't think he meant it as Ji-wan not being good enough for Tae-joon's family rather it was a jab at her for being shallow enough to reject him because of his family before.

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thankkk youuuuuu! it's great that you continue recapping this series! with viikii's problems (thnk god for withs2 now!), i haven't really watched this with good subs, so i really appreciate this! yaay episode 5 today! thanks again JB!!

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Oh, I like that interpretation! I think it cuts both ways though, because in this life, in the grown-up reversal life, Ji-wan is the one at a disadvantage in the marriage scheme of things. But yes, you make a great point.

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thanks for the recaps. tomorrow's a new episode (or later tonight if you're in korea)! this drama isn't breaking any new grounds or setting new trends but it definitely has my attention...enough so that i've gotten over my "you're beautiful" withdrawal rather quickly. it's bittersweet and nostalgic.

i'm thinking ji-wan is in major denial regarding kang jin. so much so that she would turn her back on him to look to tae-joon, a guy she barely knows. plus, it's got to be painful to see kang-jin again after so many years. it could be wishful thinking on my part because i'm so rooting for the main couple despite the emotionally layered second leads. i hope it doesn't end like "sang-doo, let's go to school" or "i'm sorry, i love you," though it seems pretty impossible for the main characters to be together (given their families and past).

as you said, there are always little moments that make this drama so wonderful; the tie clip part was adorable.

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@12 ana
wow, love that interpretation, too.

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Personally I think Han Ji Wan already knows that Kang Jin is the guy from her childhood, especially when he said, "Can I ask one question? What is his mother like? What kind of person is Park Tae-joon’s mother?”. This was as if he was challenging to what she said to him before when she rejected him when they were younger when she said to him "Your mother is a tearoom madam who flirts with men! My mother told me that people should play with their own kind. That I don’t belong around people like you. That I shouldn’t even associate with someone like you."

I love it how Kang Jin is hurting inside that Ji Wan is denying him but he still goes out to protect her i.e. brought her back to his apartment, gave her boots, shield her from oncoming traffic. This is true love! But Ji Wan is getting on my nerves because she has lost her spunk from her childhood. She cries so much more after she grew up. I do hope Ji Wan comes to her senses about choosing Tae-joon.

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Can i just say..that i LOVE you for doing recaps of this?
I'm so addicted.
I LOVE go soo!! Please please please continue all the way to the end :)

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He turns to go, then pauses, looking at her face searchingly.

Kang-jin: “Can I ask one question? What is his mother like? What kind of person is Park Tae-joon’s mother?”

After he walks out, her stricken face starts to crumple in tears; his question is like a reminder that she’s not good enough to meet Tae-joon’s mother. That she was never going to be a serious contender.

I thought at this moment Ji-wan realizes that he is indeed her Kang-jin ? Because his question about Tae-joon's mother is a mockery of her reason to reject him all those years ago ? That his mother is a low-life woman, and thus he is not good enough for her ? (while Tae-joon is ?)

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Thank you so much for the recaps! I have to say that you have an very engaging writing style that makes the recaps sometimes makes it more fun to read than it is to watch the actual episodes! I hope that you continue to update this drama on a regular basis!

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Thanks for your writing and the recaps. I think i understand the drama more when i read your recaps because sometimes i am thinking the same way and you write so well that i look forward to whatever you write captions on. I love this drama the characters are awesome did not want to see a melodrama after the great fun I had with YAB but this is great with gorgeous faces to look at but what i like more is their performances and the story.

COMING BACK FOR MORE!!!!!!!!

CAN'T WAIT

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IM loving the ost

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Oh Samsooki you are something else!!!!! Michelle Pfiffer and Al Pacino in Pretty Woman? LOL LOL....what a pair!!!! There wouldn't be any chemistry in that one and I'm laughing because it would have definitely turned into another saga of the Godfather and his woman!

I love your comments/analysis cause it hits the mark....it's intelligent and I find myself looking forward to it.

I'm still floating along with this melodrama....I do like Go Soo....in the story...but I don't think I'd want to have someone like him around me as a potential boy friend...of sorts.

Okay...I better get back to the tv and watch He's Beautiful which is airing in Hawaii right now!!!! Sighhhhhh......

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jb, you did it again.

you made me watch a drama just because of your amazing recaps.

Thanks !!!

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I agree w/ #12 (Ana).

That's what I thought too when Kang-jin said that to Ji-wan. I personally think they both know who each other are. I think he's hurt and angry, so he says this to her as a retort to the cruel words that she uttered to him back then. It's like he's asking her what's so good about Tae-joon...he must have a really good mother (family) for her to be so hung-up over him. I think this is also why he always brings his girlfriends to meet his mother unannounced, it's like the final "test" because he thinks that was really the reason that Ji-wan broke up with him.

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great that dramabeans is really recapping this series. :D
hope more people will watch this drama..........

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"Personally I think Han Ji Wan already knows that Kang Jin is the guy from her childhood, especially when he said, “Can I ask one question? What is his mother like? What kind of person is Park Tae-joon’s mother?”. This was as if he was challenging to what she said to him before when she rejected him when they were younger when she said to him “Your mother is a tearoom madam who flirts with men! My mother told me that people should play with their own kind. That I don’t belong around people like you. That I shouldn’t even associate with someone like you.”

=>she already know is the cha kang jin from her past .because in that cafe soon after .she asked tae jun to return soon., she hurt everywhere, she had saw someone (which is kang jin) .that is already evident she knew is him

as to the line about taejun mother .it showed another deeper meaning that those words of young ji wan wounded him deeply . before this you will be wondering did young kang jin believd those words? does he have doubts about it .that she is just saying things during that moment out of grief. but those words stayed with him till now .he throw back at her .those words ..this man here is so worthy for you ?! his mother is worthly .while my mother wasnt ?~!

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Love the recaps! I have one day of finals left so I definitely want to watch the next one episode firsthand. Thanks so much!

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I just had a feeling that when JW threw those harsh words at KJ in the past, she didn't mean it; rather it seemed like because in her head, she'd prepared for a leaving, she couldn't hold on to any kind of affection like that and she found no way to reject KJ, to cut him off other than hurting him badly. Does this sound to standard for drama?

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Well I certainly hope that the similarity between Kang-Jin + Woo-Jung and Yoon Eun Hye and Yoon Sang Hyuns' characters in My Fair Lady ends there! Don't really want them to end up together in the end, I think...
Haha! But thanks so much for the recaps anyway! (:

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I actually find this drama refreshing only because I feel like I'm getting a view of the life of all secondary characters.

If you take Tae Joon and Woo Jung, for example, as the leads in Robbers, and so if we pretend (and I say pretend only because I don't know if the scriptwriters actually have this in mind so this is all purely conjucture at this point in time) that TJ has a really heartwrenching reason for leaving WJ (reflected by his pained expression as he breaks up with her), and that Jiwan is that secondary leading female role that is bound for heartbreak, this could all be REALLY interesting. I've always wished the secondary leads could get a break and get a better life, and that's what I'm hoping is going to end up here (although this being a melodrama, what are the odds that everyone's going to end dead/terminally ill/gravely self-sacrificing and cruel?).

Still, interesting enough vibes from this drama that, at least for the next few episodes, I'll be sure to continue picking it up.

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ahhhhhhh! this is scaryy!! i've never been addicted to a melodrama before!!!!

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thanks for recapping. I never thought of the scene where he asks what TJ's mother does as something against JW. I thought it was more his way of forcing her to stop pretending she doesn't know while also seeing if TJ's mother is up to her standards. Your explanation is great too. I love this show. Nothing about is new exactly but the acting is well done.
As for the 2nd leads, I like them a lot. TJ is hot and the actor is amazing at showing his pain. I think he is a good contrast for KJ. KJ has a hot temper whereas TJ would rather not play out all of his emotional cards. He keeps his stuff bottled up which we get see all over his face. WJ does the spoiled brat well. In most dramas the spoiled brat is either for comic relief or is super evil which doesn't give much depth to the character. In this one WJ is human. I also think it is interesting that WJ's attempts to get TJ can be juxtaposed with KJ's mother's attempts to get WJ's father. They both threaten suicide.

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@ 23 Norma

Our very own Javabeans is recapping WISFC; samsooki recaps City Hall. And aren't we lucky to have them both!

***

This is my first time to watch Go Soo in anything (I'm planning to watch Green Rose over the holidays, though). He has such an interesting face. He's great looking, no doubt about it, but there's just something special about him. He's got the face of a young man, with the eyes of an old soul. I think he's fascinating.

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"before this you will be wondering did young kang jin believd those words?"

Kang Jin did believe in those words. Even if she said it out of grief, even if she didn't really "mean" it, part of her did and that's just an honest reflection of how we all hurt each other when our hearts are burning.

I think part of the story is about patterns. It's important to remember that Kang Jin was not the first guy she liked. He might have been her first true love . . .or he might have been the rebound guy from that first guy. We actually don't know, because if you've watched enough melodramas, you'd pick up that the childhood sequence presumes that the boy and girl met each other from a completely blank slate, and that all life-changing influences began with that boy and that girl. However, that is NOT the situation Lee Kyung Hee is giving us.

We can't assume that Tae Jung was the 2nd guy in Ji Wan's life that liked him. We obviously don't assume that Kang Jin hasn't slept with other women. Rather, I would argue that Ji Wan has met "Tae Jungs" again and again in her life, that she walks into rebound or entangled relationships, and that this Tae Jung may have been the closest she got to a successful outcome. In other words, she wanted THIS one to work!! Moreover, Kang Jin may or may not have been the guy she always wanted. Rather, Kang Jing was perhaps to her that guy who could have been really different in her life, and he was the one who -- due to tragic circumstances -- she asserted herself and dumped (and maybe made a romantic mistake in retrospect,)

@Samsooki,

"Shim Su-bong’s “그때 그 사람” made me tear up for shizzle though. Is this the drama that will make me turn all belleza in a misa-bali kinda way?"

'Tis a rite of passage of hun. ;) Watch enough K-dramas, they'll be that one melodrama which becomes a kind of religious experience! :D

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Oh Deity those friggin' eyes of his. Man, this is certainly different from the last time I saw him in Marrying a Millionaire! I'm the same way on melodramas driving me batty at many times, but this one has potential of making me do more than read the recaps.

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Does anyone know where you can watch episode 5 on the internet?

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"The elevator doors open. He traps her, and says, “I’m thinking of seducing you, for real, like a player.” She stutters, “Don’t you know who I am? D-don’t you?”

Actually, i have to point for this part, in the drama, KJ hesitates for a while and looks at JW intently.
I thought that was one good subtle moment. He was caught by surprise imo.. he thought that JW asked that question as she knows who he is. I don't know why this subtle moment just caught my attention.

Isn't it ironic? In the past, it was JW who did everything to get KJ's attention and now it's the total reversal... JW is trying so hard to ignore her feelings...

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I've become hooked onto the drama based solely on your recaps. Last final exam tomorrow, then I can begin watching the drama! Thanks for being so prompt, I look forward to reading about episode 5!

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@34 langdon813,

You might also want to check out Marrying a Millionaire after you're done with Green Rose because you might need something a little lighter and cheerier afterwards.

Anyways, Go Soo was awesome in both. He kind of reminds me of Lee Wan but a more mature and hunkier version.

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Hmm, I don't know, I think Jiwan and Kangjin have always known from the beginning who the other person is. Kangjin still lurks around Jiwan's house which means that he still thinks a lot about her and 8 years is not enough to change a person's looks. Likewise, Jiwan still wears Kangjin's necklace which is basically a constant reminder of Kangjin so it's not like she's forgotten about him either. Jiwan just pretends she doesn't recognize Kangjin and Kangjin just plays along.

Like you, character wise, Taejoon is such a superbly conflicted character, but on a personal level, I just don't find him likable at all. Whereas I am so totally clicking with Woojung who's pretty much insane!

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@all4movies,
"He kind of reminds me of Lee Wan but a more mature and hunkier version."

i've been confusing myself between Go Soo n Lee Wan.... LOL (please don't kill me :P), now i see the difference... sooo much difference...
i'm in love with Go Soo just by seeing his pictures from the above recaps... he looked so mature, and those facial expression... sigh...

thanks for the recap JB...

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I usually avoid watching melodramas but this one has definitely pulled me in.
I love Misa, but the ending was too tragic.
I didnt watch what happened in bali because of the ending....
I have to admit that I started to watch this drama because of Go Soo (he looked so awesome in your cap, and the storyline seemed pretty decent), shallow... I know xD but i can't help myself. Boy, am I glad that I gave this melodrama a chance.

right now, I just feel so bad for Kang Jin, all the pain he went through (btw, I LOVE the child actors<3 especially Nam Ji Hyun, she is just full of awesomeness).
Ji Wan, I feel bad for her as well, because of what her mom said about her, and of course, her brother's death. I guess I'm not very fond of Tae Jung right now :/ maybe when the writer drills a bit deeper into his past, then I will understand him a bit?

Thank you for your recaps~~~

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“Your mother is a tearoom madam who flirts with men!. My mother told me that people should play with their own kind. That I don’t belong around people like you. That I shouldn’t even associate with someone like you.”

Let's take these remarks, how did jiwan came to this conclusion, she was-
say - 14 or 15 years old then, I don't thinks she knew what was the relationship between her parent and mdm Cha and those words were told by her mum "my mother says.... . Teenager still under parental guidance will take their parents words then figuring it out themselves unless the child is exceptional to know their parents affairs. Because of her guilt (caused her brother's death) she slashed out her anger unfortunately on kangjin.

I think at the engagement party when kangjin introduce himself during the lunch feast, she was somehow trying to figure out is this my childhood friend that I was behaving badly to and saying the meanest thing on earth??

look at the body language while walking, lots of things running through her mind, the broken engagement and now someone I knew appeared .

Recalling :- when she spoke on the phone telling TJ to hurry back with what he is doing and come soon she said " I meet someone and my heart ..........

Right now she is in denial and a depress person.

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What is it about hair clips? You're Beautiful, City Hall, now WiSFC. Forget the Holy Grail. Forget the philosopher's stone. It's all about the hair clip.

Good thing I have short hair. I'd be too scared to buy a hair clip now. I wouldn't know what my life would turn into. Would it turn fluffy and cute like YAB? Would it be tragic like WiSFC? Will I be swept up in a storm, a la City Hall? Oh, it is dangerous, the hair clip. Mess not with the hair clip!

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theres already too much people talking about ji wan and kang in character so i start talking about woo jung and tae joon
woo jung, the actress who plays her is very much like javabeans said, she has two men in her life screwing her around. we also see that she doesn't like working there (at ep 4, we dont see why her dream is in buildings, i guess her father put her up to it)
shes very much doing what a scorn woman turned saint would do in her rich position, seek forgiveness by paying off someone
the actress itself is very talented and seeing her in QUEEN OF HOUSEWIVES was great, she was strong and powerful and to the point, when i see her here, shes a bit half and half, she does great scenes when she angry and upset when tae joon is leaving her but when she is luring people into her world, i dont really get her acting at all, it feels really forced acting and not natural,

now onto tae joon, well we all hate him as the second lead but, his acting is pretty good, i believe an actor is a good actor when the character is believable to the point that we hate him. at present, he is the guy who is very much undecided,
and onto something else, who leaves their fiance of x years to get engage with someone within a week (maybe tea leoni and david duchovy and also all those arranged marriages)

For him to wanna die while walking thru busy traffic, that was just stupid, he was beyond high and drunk and yet ji wan falls for it and yes kang in comes to the rescue again, his character is very much similiar to jung kil character in smile where he is bloody annoying and the fact he is annoying sticks into your brain and wont leave

oh i wasn;t going to talk about go soo but about the elevator part, the one where ji wan and kangin talks about him being a playboy, he doesn't really make his intentions clear to her, and for her to have the mindset that he is a playboy makes it very hard for her to like him, if you want the girl, just say it but the angst in kdrama is what we all look for in melodramas

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LOL but i will cut someone's throat if cha kangjin ends up with woo jung!

i like to think that i'm good at picking up on little details, but reading your recaps show me i've still got a looong way to go.

i've watched episode 5 today, and so far, still so good!

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Does anyone else think that the actor that plays Tae-Joon bears a resemblance to SMAP's Katori Shingo?

Thank you so much for the recaps, Javabeans! I especially thank you for posting & translating the 'lullabies' that Kang-Jin and his mother sing--the last one sung by his mother was especially beautiful.

I wonder what made Kang-Jin's mother leave her hometown and her love so many years ago, and what made her come back. Her actions are so immature, it makes me wonder what kind of claim she has over the man (I don't buy that either of the boys is his son).

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"Does anyone else think that the actor that plays Tae-Joon bears a resemblance to SMAP’s Katori Shingo? "

I can see it. But his eyes don't have Shingo's honeyed purity.

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i have this icky feeling that KJ is the son of JW's dad (since their personality and way of expressing themselves are kind of similar). but now, i'm thinking that JW is really her dad's daughter (deduced from previous episodes, the mom isn't too fond of her and maybe there is a reason).

just my silly little input.

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